Abe and Babe's wedding was fit for royalty! Goldclaw, Amber, Olive and Love were all expected at the ceremony. The thoughtful ring-makers had fashioned a tiny set of platinum locking leg bands for Babe's doves and a larger set for Abe's eagles. The entire community had decided on a triple wedding without their knowledge. Their whole household was to be married! The birds would go down in animal history!

The boxes containing the secret crowns had been discreetly deposited among the other wedding gifts. The cards simply said "Abe" and "Babe".

Countless pictures were taken during the colorful ceremony. In her lovely pink gown adorned with the jewels of Hydrocryst, Babe looked and acted like a true princess. Olive and Love respectfully sat on her petite shoulders wearing pink and blue silk ribbons. Her royal appearance riveted Abe's eyes to hers while the wedding march played softly in the background. His dashing white jeweled suit with a tie to match her gown and the stately eagles atop his shoulders had the same effect on her. Their eyes never broke contact until the vows were repeated and their rings were in place.

The designated minister asked Abe and Babe to please hold their positions and proceeded to perform the surprise ceremony, slightly altered to accommodate the two pairs of birds. Separate ring-bearers entered and snapped the lightweight rings on the birds' legs, . . never to be removed! Calmly the birds allowed themselves to be placed side-by-side on their masters' touching shoulders. Abe and Babe watched with reverent respect, awed at the thoughtfulness of their beloved friends. The minister then proudly proclaimed them all to be legally "married". Babe could not stem the joyous flood of tears. She was surely the happiest woman that had ever existed! The same joy held true for her new "husband".

After the close of the ceremony, everyone eagerly migrated to the reception area. The happy couple's loyal friends had smartly decorated the shuttle, with special care taken to avoid blocking the cooling system intake ports. Abe Babe would be free to leave after the merry reception was over.

Everyone naturally wanted their gift opened first. By chance, the boxes concealing the crowns came up last. The vast assortment of presents ranged from jewelry to clothing and even novelties for the birds! Abe allowed Goldclaw and Amber the honor of pulling all the colorful ribbons from the gifts. Olive and Love excitedly cooed and danced on Babe's shoulders. The couple thanked each giver in turn as their present was opened.

Finally, there were only two boxes left. The crowd was silent, for everyone's gifts had been accounted for. Abe picked up the box he had personally wrapped, and his "wife" did the same. Both were extremely careful not to think of the contents of their box. Abe handed his to Babe silently and lightly kissed her on the cheek. She searched his sparkling eyes and mind for a clue, but he expertly revealed nothing. Babe smiled, handed Abe his box and stubbornly volunteered no information either.

The silent suspense played havoc on the guests'patience. They chanted loudly, "Open! Open! Open!" Without breaking eye contact, the celebrated couple slowly pulled the ribbons free and removed the lids from the boxes. Without looking down they reached in, both feeling a crown in each. Abe and Babe naturally thought they had somehow gotten the boxes mixed up. The slight break in concentration reestablished their telepathic mind link, and all was immediately clear to both of them. They kissed passionately without removing the crowns.

Booker finally broke the silence by blurting out, "Hey lovebirds. Let us in on the secret!" With that comment, Abe and Babe laughed and thrust up the exquisite crowns for all to see. Oohs, ahs, compliments, and expressions of total amazement and beauty were heard throughout the room. Nobody present was even remotely familiar with the soft, illustrious glow of pure gold! No more would ever be found on Hydrocryst; nor would any opals or diamonds! Justly so, . . Abe and Babe had located the first and the last of those unique deposits.

When the excited crowd had finished examining the sparkling crowns, Abe proudly placed Babe's upon her golden strands of hair, and Babe did likewise with his.

The entire audience honored the beaming couple with a standing ovation complete with wild cheering and clapping! Abe and Babe marched through the middle of the excited crowd, while their friends chanted, "Hail Abe and Babe; the King of Power and Queen of Love!" A shower of hybrid rice marked their final exit out the door. Babe grinned and threw her bouquet into the crowd, waved a last good-bye, and disappeared with her husband through the hatch of the decorated shuttle. In the blink of an eye, Hydrocryst's first "husband and wife" left on a traditional honeymoon with the last ten feet of Babe's train flapping wildly in the wind behind the shuttle. Jeweltown (the crystal city's designated name) extended the festivities for a full week!

Author's Note: Feel free to copy/paste the text contained herein to build your personal copy of "Hidden Perfection". However, as this is COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL by ME, the ORIGINAL AUTHOR, please DO NOT copy for UNAUTHORIZED DISTRIBUTION in any form or fashion. "ALL RIGHTS RETAINED & RESERVED" by Larry K. Hockman! Please don't hesitate to E-Mail me for permission to use my works in the classroom, etc. ThanX for Visitin'! I hope you enjoyed the story and pass it on to your friends. LKH

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